Fundraising Fun Times

Fundraising includes the word fun in its beginning.

So, why don't we make fundraising more fun?

One reason may be that fundraising is serious business.  People's lives depend on the programs and services provided by nonprofits and similar community and faith-based agencies.  Some are the low to moderate income clients that these agencies serve on a daily basis.  Others include the employees, contractors and vendors of the agencies themselves.  When a family depends on its local food bank for the bread and other goods that keep them going, it spells serious business.

Another reason is that many agency employees are busy as well as their volunteer board members.  Employees have a tough enough time keeping the operation going.  Add the additional responsibility of raising funds primarily through grants and government contracts and you will see one set of overwhelmed and   frustrated folks.  Some boards do not meet frequent enough to truly understand the agency's programming and services to even begin to start tackling fundraising.



Many agencies hire, retain and/ or contract with an outsider for writing grants or developing a fundraising plan.  In many cases, such individuals are freelancers acting as independent contractors or consultants.  They gather data on the organization, research potential grant matches and plug in the data from the agency into a boilerplate or template, awaiting the next installment on their retainer for services rendered based upon an emailed or hand delivered invoice due within 30 days upon receipt.

Put the fun back into fundraising. Go ahead and  let your team gather for chips and salsa or pizza and wings as they devise a fun way to raise money for your cause in general and your agency specifically.  Let your ideas run wild and free.  Spend some time brainstorming and tossing around ideas.  Make note of ideas that resonate with the group, then start researching the possibilities and potential of putting some of these ideas into action.

Maybe a grant would help you out, but a bowl-a-thon might be a little more memorable and you maybe could use a boost in morale around the office if you include staff, volunteers, clients and board members as well as the surrounding community.

Put the fun back into fundraising.

Fish for the Lost of the World

And Jesus said unto them,  Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

- Mark 1:17

Jesus expects us  to become fishers of men.

Have you been fishing lately?

How can you reap if you do not sow?

How can you have an expectation if you do not make an effort?

We are to fish for the lost by seeking them out and sharing the gospel with them.
No one can get saved if you never share.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

-Romans 10:13-15

Read my latest article on Spending Time with God

Volunteer Retention Tips for Ministry Leaders

In ministry, we tend to do a lot of recruitment.  We load up real heavy on recruiting people.  We point out all of the finer points of the benefits of participating and what it really means to sign up for service within the ministry.  We do a lot on the recruitment end.

So what about retention?

You can do mass recruitment.  That's no problem.  You need to retain volunteers in ministry on an individual basis.  You need to give them one-on-one treatment in order to keep them in the loop and on the team.

Volunteer retention is based on:

• Relationships: who knows who?
• Relevance: how are people whom we know are impacted?
• Resourcefulness: where can we help and how can we give others hope?

If we train 10 volunteers to serve for 12 months and impact 10 people per month each, you could have 1,200 impacts within a year.  Think about that.  10 X 10 X 12 = 1,200.  One hundred people could be impacted by 10 people.  Imagine what a ministry of 20 or 25 people could do.  Think about how much potential you lose when you have to replace people rather than keeping things going smoothly time after time.

Weekend Workout

I admit that I am out of shape.  I am getting better but I am not at my best.  I am still out of shape.  Since I know that, I try to be sure that I don't go totally down hill off a lot of cheeseburgers and pizza.  I try to add some fruit.  Drink more water.  Cut out (or at least down) on the sodas. I am trying and I am getting closer to adding more to my health and fitness regimen.


I am seeking to add a workout that goes beyond my every now and then grabbing some barbells and working on curls in front of the mirror.  I need a workout.  I need to add a complete workout to my whole weekend to start and then get busy keeping that regimen on a regular basis.



Work, stress and depression can kill your spirit.  Stay strong and look at doing more to relax and relieve yourself.  I love that movie "Office Space."  It reminds me that we can let it all get to you and cause you to cave in if you are not careful.  The truth hurts and it can kill you if you are not careful.  Get fit.  Get healthy.  Get started.

Next, I'll get back to golfing.  I will start with the driving range first.


Otherwise, I'll be like this guy below.

Victorious with Volunteers

"Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God." -William Carey

We can accomplish much for God.  We can accomplish much for God by devoting and dedicating ourselves to God's business.  We accomplish so very much through what God already provides us within the Body of Christ. 

We can become victorious through the efforts of our volunteers.  Our work serves as an offering to God as we serve Him with joy and gladness.  Our victories are vicarious vignettes of what God does through us as His servants, His vessels, and His instruments.  We have to answer to God for how we handle what God has provided for us.  It comes down to stewardship, serving as God's servants.

Learn more about the riches of volunteer resources available:

• http://www.volunteerpower.com/
• http://www.christianvolunteering.org/
• http://www.churchvolunteercentral.com/

Give to Get

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again- Luke 6:38 (KJV)

To get, you need to start by giving. Give and watch what you get back.
Do you want volunteers? Give a little of your time at your local chamber of commerce. Donate a few hours with your community foundation or local volunteer center. Once they get to know you and see your commitment to service, I bet they’d find a way to help you find more volunteers for your next community project than you’d be able to garner via Craig’s List.

Do you need supplies or gently-used items donated for your program? Give the research some time and attention. Put in the time searching the social sections and community news of your local papers. Go through the local business journals. Did a hometown company score that defense contract? They may be in line to unload some of their laptops or desktop computers. Get in touch with the community relations department. Did your local safety department get a grant from the CDC to do health outreach and awareness? Ensure that you are their contact person for expanding their reach into diverse urban populations.
Be an asset to others in order to garner what you need for your projects and programs.

“You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”
- Winston Churchill

Tomorrow's Leaders

Today's Youth = Tomorrow's Leaders

We adopted that as the tagline for Youth-N2-Action during its inception.  It is a simple but profound concept.  We may see them as youth today, pants sagging and iPods or cell phones connected to their ears, but see past the present.  See them as the future.  One day they will lead the way.

Look at the 2008 presidential campaign. President Obama did something extraordinary.  He got people out to vote.  He rallied others to get others to vote.  Yes, he utilized modern technology for raising funds, but he also utilized it as a medium and means for getting younger voters involved in the political process to bring about change.  Such a change led to a change that brought forth the change of a Black U.S. President, raising the level of achievement for those who have been short-changed and hamstrung in the past and the present by achievement gaps and other socioeconomic indicators.

Believe in today's youth.  Seek to reach them through diverse programs.  They need everything from academics and athletics to the arts and sciences. Let them freely express themselves with everything from poetry to pottery, from rap to scrap booking. Allow them to develop into the well-rounded people we want leading our nation and embracing globalization. 

The last thing we would want as tomorrow's senior citizens is for today's youth to look at us with blank stares and ask: "Who are you? Now that you need me to step up I can't because you you didn't step up when I need you."

Let us not let that be the case for our collective futures.

Evangelism Insights

Evangelism is proclaiming and sharing the gospel message with the world.  We do it in numerous ways and by various means, but we are all called to do it.  Evangelism should be at the core of what we do as churches open in the name of Jesus.

We can proclaim the gospel by preaching, witnessing, or even through written material such as Bible tracts.  We can share the gospel by demonstrating our love for Christ and our fellow man through service, addressing the needs of those within our communities, and personal testimony, sharing our own trials and struggles that provides hope to those who live in darkness. We have many open avenues to share the Good News.  We must be sure that our people are exercising their God-given giftedness to glorify God and edify the body of Christ "for the work of the ministry."

If we do not proclaim and share the gospel, we neglect one of the main purposes of the church’s existence as well as one of the greatest commands of the Lord and the least that we could do since being saved by His shed blood.  You ought to see that god is so good that you can't help but talk it up with others.  It should be so good to you that you can't contain yourself.

For more posts on evangelism, please visit Rev. Bruce's Blog.  Also, be sure to visit our Life Path Storefront for S.O.W.S. (Salvation Offered Without Strings) and A Short Course on Evangelism.

Relationships = Resources

Here is a simple equation: Relationships = Resources.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. - John 15:4 (NIV)

Relationships are the basis for new partnerships and clients. Get to know people and you start to see how they can serve as resources in numerous ways.  Think about who you know and how they know others.  If you are a pastor, I dare you to look over the sea of faces that are within your congregation and see how many work for the local government and school system versus those who are part of the private sector.  Each one of those faces staring back at the pulpit represent resources and connections to other resources.  What you do with those relationships makes the differences. Do you only call on them when you need them? Or, do you call on them for prayer or just to check in, too?

Relationships represent resources.  You have to see beyond previous issues and humble yourself to see what the person represents.  Did they agree or disagree with the direction you took the church with the new building project? That's not the issue.  Did you leave room reconciliation? That's the big question.  People disagree all of the time in church.  As a pastor or Christian leader, you need to get used to it and even expect it to a degree.  People are people. 

Gain resources by developing relationships.  You need to be sure to develop and maintain your relationships.

You need to manage your relationships.  Don't let people slip away or become out of sight and out of mind.  Stay in touch with members who move away.  You never know how much you may need help from somebody from out of town. Be a bridge builder in your church and your community.

Develop more relationships by:

• Expanding circle of influence & support
• Forming genuine bonds through Christian fellowship
• Learning not to hold grudges but keep doors open while not burning bridges

 

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I posted a "special message" via my e-newsletter today.
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Check out the Twitter "tweets" from Rev. Bruce @ www.twitter.com/lifepath01/
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Discipleship and Development

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

-Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)

We should strive to reach perfection. As we work in ministry, building up and strengthening the believers under our care, we are to lead them with teaching and training that guides them to become a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Our work is cut out for us. We are to work with imperfect people as imperfect people, helping one another to become more like Christ day by day despite our sinful nature. Like the Apostle Paul, an internal war wages within us with two opposing sides- our new nature versus our old nature. At times, we must rely upon the strength of the Lord to continue in striving. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your development as you assist in the discipleship and development of others.

You are called to oversee what happens with the people under your leadership.  You must intercede on their behalf.  You may not always feel up to it.  You may not always feel appreciated.  You are called to serve as a leader. 

Disciple your people.  Teach your people.  Train your people.  Do all so that your people will mature in perfection towards the  perfect man that they are destined to become in His name.  It is part of your calling.

Seeing the Significance in the Insignificant

The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.- Amos 1:1 (NKJV)

The Book of Amos unveils the burden laid upon Amos, one of the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament.    Oddly enough, Amos is wedged somewhere between the joyous coming of the Lord, the Messiah, in Joel and the obscurity of Obadiah.  Amos reveals to all of us that God could take any of us and use us to deliver His message or to exemplify His love through social justice. 

This OT prophecy opens with the seemingly insignificant.  Yet, if we know anything from reading opening verses in the Bible, we learn how captivating an opening should be to its reader.  An opening should reveal the significance of what's about to be read.  Unfortunately, Amos didn't get that memo. 

Amos was a sheepbreeder, also known as a herdsman, not a son of some priestly order like many of his predecessors and peers.  Amos was from Tekoa near Bethlehem.  That's not a region known for its production and promotion of prophets.  He may have served during the reigns of two great kings: Uzziah and Jeroboam.   That didn't matter much either.  He even pointed out that this prophecy came about  two years before the earthquake, making it clear that it wasn't due to the earthquake in question.  The opening of the Book of Amos seems to shed light on the insignificant.

Whether you see these events and activities as one big list of insignificance or not, you have to see the significance that it does bring out about Amos and his times.  Consider that the shepherd heard from God concerning Israel  during the reigns of Judah being split from Israel.  God called a herdsman from Tekoa to deliver His message to Israel.  He did so two years prior to a significant event in the region- the earthquake.

That's in the Bible.  What about how you open your messages concerning your business and brand?

• How about your conversations with people? Do you stir up interest in your business?
• Do people feel that your company stands out or just blends in?
• If someone overheard you speaking to a client, could they pick up on your depth of how-to knowledge combined with your genuine concern and compassion for those with whom you serve?
• Despite outside events like earthquakes and other tragedies, could your business withstand a financial storm or a family storm?

Use what seems insignificant to stress the significance of what you do and how you do it differently from the crowd.

Moving Forward as a Team

"Teamwork is not a preference, it is a requirement."

-Coach John Wooden

Losing isn't the worst thing that can happen for a team.  Losing the sense of togetherness and teamwork can be more detrimental to a team than a series of defeats or a losing season.  We need to see how to keep the teamwork as a priority.  Teamwork is about the entire team working as a team.

• Motivate People- Encourage: Get people motivated to work together.  Look into team-building exercises.  Structure fellowship time.  Work in some out-of-the-office activities or outings for the entire team and heir families.
• Maintain Progress- Ensure: With a collective purpose and people motivated to pursue goals together, keep track on progress.  Keep the bottom line in view, but ensure that what your team has set out to do is being worked as a priority.  Saving costs does you no good if it costs you clients and contracts.  See what progress is being made towards goal and record it every step of the way.
• Measure Performance - Evaluate: Work on seeing the bigger picture.  Get beyond your department. See how your team has impacted others.  Take a long, hard look at where you started and where you ended up.  Did you get things done as a team? Evaluate your results and performance. 

Do for others what you would like them to do for you- Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

Keeping Pace in Making Changes

Bringing about change may require you to be patient. Change has a a pace of its own. Change can come about in various ways. The whole point is that you have to be ready for change no matter how it comes at you.

Change can take place:

• Swiftly
• Slowly
• Steadily

Depending on the need for change, the conditions and circumstances may vary. Remain open and ready.

Three for Change: Identify 3 people who can help you promote change in your organization.

Meaningful Meetings

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing...- Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Make your meetings more meaningful. People can oftentimes see meetings as a bore or a burden. As a leader, you want to develop meetings that live and breathe with meaning for the attendees. Identify who needs to attend and why, and then offer them what is meaningful for their jobs or their departments. Projects should have a common cause or theme that runs through them so that the numbers people can oogle over the numbers while doing good and the visual people can the vision without losing the nuts and bolts of getting goals accomplished.

• Share good news about upcoming events and activities. Include any accomplishments such as hitting anticipated benchmarks or special recognitions.
• Show people how their input is valuable. Identify ways to infuse input into the process. Let people see that their input has value in getting the job done.
• Send out messages that encourage participation. Attach the agenda to an inspiring email invite. Be sure to identify special invites for those who have not previously participated on your team.
• Stir up interest. Let people know what to expect. Increase the level of awareness among your people so that you can increase their level of participation at the meeting.

Make every meeting more meaningful by what you put into the hands and inboxes of the people you want and need at those meetings. Try taking a stab at doing something different to get different results. Identify what works for your team and innovate further as they share new ideas.

Special Event Basics

You harvest what you plant, whether good or bad.- Proverbs 14:14 (CEV)

You probably have heard it expressed one way or another. It may have been a teacher in your early years or one of your first supervisors when you started working as a kid. Even your pastor or a guest preacher probably sermonized it into a three-point sermon with alliteration and all.

You reap what you sow.

It makes sense. It really starts to make even more sense when you start looking at the results from your special events. You have to look at what you do in the early planning stages as the seeds for the fruitful results for what you can potentially get out of your special event when everything is said and done.

Collaborate

Don't try to do everything yourself. If you are part of a mega-church or a network of local churches, work with others to get your event running smoothly. Work with them on a timeline and recruiting volunteers as well as promoting the event.

Coordinate

Schedule and set up your event, taking everything into account. Think about vendors, trash, recycling barrels, and all that may be involved with the event. Coordinate with the fire department, police department and city zoning/ special event permits. The last thing you want is to have your event shut down because you didn't take care of the little things.

Communicate

Use social networking like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Walk the block and pass out fliers and invitations. Email your congregants and past guests and visitors. Get the word out to your team and volunteers. Make it known what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Planning Your Teams

These people made your plan happen because of your power and your will.- Acts 4;28 (NCV)

Planning how to structure your team will be vital to your team's success. You need to plan out your teams before you try to recruit team members to join up for the work. You will need specialized teams for specialized tasks. Some basics for ministries and churches planning events will include: Prayer Team, Set-Up Team, Break-Down Team, Service Team, and Leadership Team.

I always recommend Prayer Team because I believe that prayer is essential and fundamental to what we need to do before, during and even after the event. When we fail to pray, we sure to see our plans fail. We never checked in with God throughout the process. Be sure to include a Prayer Team, even before you assemble your Leadership Team. Solicit praying souls who can start combating the spiritual warfare that will surely arise as you seek to bring glory to God.

Your team structure should be based upon what you need. Identifying what you need goes back to some basics. You need to see what you seek to accomplish (your main objective), and then identify what you need in place in order to reach your objective. What you want to accomplish and what you need to get done will help you create a list of necessary items. This will help you develop your budget and construct your teams.

With your list of necessary items, you will have to identify some basic tasks that need to get done. Teams accomplish tasks. Break down big jobs into smaller tasks, especially if you plan on using volunteers. Manageable pieces are easily managed for a reason. You do not lose anything when you ask the overworked Christian servant to only do one thing rather than take on a whole additional load of responsibility. You also gain some willing workers when you only ask the new Christian convert to support and work along with veteran volunteers who have served in such a capacity at previous events. Identify the tasks and identify the people who can get the things needed done.

As you go further in developing teams, be sure to:

• Provide volunteer position descriptions with bullet points of what to do and how to do it
• Share the main objective with everyone. If it is about evangelism, say so. If it is about letting people see what your church has to offer, make it real for the people who have to help make it happen.
• Say who you are trying to reach. Your teams also promote your event by what they say to people they know and encounter. Know who you want to reach and share it with your team.
• Talk resources. Your list will tell you what you need. Share it as a "wish list" with your team. Someone may work for a company who can supply some things or sponsor the items. Others may have experience getting donations from local organizations and have connections. Share you needs with your team.
• Thank your team from beginning to end, and then thank them again. You can never say it enough. Without them (and the Lord, of course), you are not able to get it all done.

Recognition: Say it and Show it

When it comes to recognition, you have to both say it and show it. Whether it is staff or volunteers, you need to recognize those doing the work of the organization. It doesn't matter if you are a church or nonprofit entity, even a small business. You need to recognize those who serve alongside of you, especially those under your supervision. It doesn't matter if they work on the front lines or behind the scenes. People need to know that you appreciate them.

What do I mean?

• Say it: Recognize people for what they do and how they do it, for the time and effort that they dedicate to the work. People need to hear it from you and see it on your face when you say it. Don't let your face betray what's coming out of your mouth. Be honest and mean what you say. Don't dress it up. Just say it. Verbal is good, but you also need to write it down. Put it on the staff bulletin board or in the organizational newsletter as a spotlight. Place it as an agenda item on meetings with the label "Staff & Volunteer Recognitions" or something similar. Identify the person and the reason for the recognition.

• Show it: You show people that you recognize them by what you do and how you do it. Make a fuss over them and celebrate their contributions. Present an award or certificate at meetings or special ceremonies. Get creative. Show your appreciation for them with a tribute via a PowerPoint slide show or video presentation with photos of and messages from clients, co-workers or other volunteers, and yourself as the leader. Present them with a copy on CD or DVD. Show them that you value their contribution.

Volunteering is oftentimes a thankless job. When you say and show your appreciation for what volunteers contribute to your organization, you say a lot. You have to see it from their perspective. They are offering things of value- their time, ideas, and service. Your appreciation may be their most rewarding compensation next to serving.

Always make your recognition of your people: Personal, Public and Purposeful. Be sure to let your appreciation be known to those who need to hear it and see it. You need to ensure that you show appreciation to the people who deserve it and in front of the people who need to know that you value hard work, dedication and people.

Volunteer Strategies

Most churches and nonprofits are considered "volunteer-driven" organizations. Volunteers what drive these particular organizations. Schools, libraries and other similar institutions are also dependent on volunteers. Ensure that you at least cover the basics to draw and keep those who will serve in our organizations.

Volunteer Basics:

• Recruitment
• Resources
• Recognition
• Retention

Our recruitment should motivate people to join our team. It should help stimulate interest and share how any and many can get involved. Be sure to have the necessary resources for your volunteers and your staff who will supervise and manage your volunteers. Include recognition. When the "thankless" job never produces any acknowledgement, you can expect a revolving door of volunteers coming and going until someone learns how to say or show a "Thank You" somehow.

I saved retention for last because what you do with the previous items helps you retain people. You don't retain people when you don't keep supplies on hand and you fail to recognize their effort. Retention is about relationships. What type of relationships have been developed with your staff, clients, other volunteers, and others? That will make a difference in whether you are able to keep people on board or not.